An Airship Named Desire (Take to the Skies Book 1) (21 page)

“I can tell you what I’ve seen, but not what’s true or real.” Mordecai shrugged. I stepped back and rolled on my heels. Whatever his motivations had been, Jensen left behind the person I spent missions running around with. He lost the right to those memories when he killed our captain. If he joined with the Morlocks now, his new identity painted him in comfortable black and white enemy clothes.

“As for where he was headed…” Mordecai continued. “Well, it wasn’t a coincidence the Morlocks cornered me in that bar. I overheard word of the eastern sect meeting over the Atlantic. Those coordinates are supposed to be secret, like news of the meeting, but I happened to sneak into one of their bases.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You don’t just stumble on those bases. What were you doing there?”

“First off, I don’t like being in any sort of database. And secondly, I heard they were after cargo that could turn into a catastrophic nightmare in their hands—involving my birthplace of Old Germany at that.”

My heart paused in my chest, and my eyes widened. “What did they say that cargo looked like?” the words left my lips in a whisper. How did others know about this cargo? My blood froze. Worse, what were we going to do if the Morlocks found out we had it?

Mordecai squinted as he recalled. “A box, small size with a hell of a hard lock to break was stolen from a British merchant ship. Old German writing detailed the sides.”

I nodded and tried to betray no emotion. The Desire’s limbs groaned with the start up, and the ground trembled underneath my boots. “With the Brits after us, our ex-employer, and the Morlocks, I have to say, anywhere is better than staying still. I appreciate what you’ve shared with me. You’ll be a valuable member of our crew,” I said, clapping a hand on his shoulder before I walked off.

My mind whirled with thoughts of our cargo. What could be inside worth this trouble? By the docks, a door opened, and Claire slipped through the shadows along the side of the building, vanishing with the other mercenaries. I clenched my jaw. No one hurt Geoff like that. The next time we met that strumpet I’d be armed and ready to take her down.

The balloon inflated and puffs of steam trailed off into the night sky from our roaring engine. Night fell. A somber moon glinted off the metal frame of the balloon, casting idle beams over the deck. The steel structure squealed against the rusted beams holding her in place, and the ship skimmed against the sea. We soared into the night sky, away from Reno.

Chapter Twenty One

The next morning when I woke up, my head dizzied with the intoxication of sleep. Geoff and Spade started our girl flying, and we sailed over the land mass of the United States en route to the Atlantic Ocean. Whatever these Morlocks congregated about, if Jensen followed them now, he’d be ours. I blinked and scanned my room. Today I’d have to start moving my belongings over to the captain’s chambers, even though that room still loomed in my mind like forbidden territory.

I stretched my arms over my head and stood. My chemise was wrinkled, so I threw on a more suitable ensemble of dark brown breeches and an absinthe green bodice. I cast a sad glance over the clothes scattered around my room and the baubles lining my countertop. My cameo collection would have to be packed away along with my prized brass knuckles.

When I stepped out into the hallway, I tilted my head to the side and sniffed the air. The breeze carried the savory scent of sage and butter through the cabin. I narrowed my eyes. No one cooked real food on this ship.

The last good meal I’d eaten was the jerky we had with boiled potatoes because Isabella managed to heat them without burning the meal. Before then, Edwin’s fruitcake stood out in my memory, despite the chunks of half cooked egg inside. My feet directed me towards the source of the aroma. One flight of steps down, the scents became clearer and more delicious. I couldn’t identify any of them, but perhaps if I could then I’d be able to cook.

Muffled voices came from the galley and mess hall. Once in awhile people tried to cook something down there, but more often we grabbed a meal bar from the cabinets or ate a dinner in town whenever we could. I rifled a hand through my tresses before entering the room. Generally, empty rectangular tables studded the otherwise clear mess hall, but today proved different. Most of our crew of about twenty scattered around the seats, including a couple deckhands in the back, Jack, Abby, even Hiram. Mordecai and Seth sat together, deep in discussion at one of the closer tables. Spade finished a plate of food beside them, and Seth waved once he caught sight of me. I nodded back.

A hissing sound came from our galley accompanied by the source of those delicious smells. I entered our cramped kitchen, which had two granite panels for the countertops, a stove, oven, and a sink. Adelle stood by the oven with a checkerboard towel wrapped around her hand, and Edwin peered over her shoulder. A skillet full of meat and vegetables in some sort of gravy sat on the stovetop, and several dirty dishes littered the sink.

“What’s going on?”

She jumped with surprise at the sound of my voice. “I figured I’d cook some breakfast. I mean, you had some dried meat, and we picked up vegetables at the port. I’m making Cornish pasties for the crew.”

“Thank the Gods. We finally have a cook aboard our ship!” I hugged her tight. My mouth watered at the sight of the delicious pasties with golden handmade crusts, which had been crimped with a fork edge. She gave me a shy smile while Edwin peered into the oven.

“I believe they’re done baking, Adelle.” His lanky form hunched over like a triangle. “Did you want to pull them out?” I let her go, and she used her makeshift oven rag to pull the tray of tiny treasures from the oven.

“Where did you learn this magic?” I took a deep whiff of the savory baked treat and had to restrain myself from shoveling handfuls of it into my eager mouth.

“The school I was sent to. It was a boarding facility, so we learned to cook for ourselves early on. Some students had an aptitude for the art, and we took a round of classes. It’s not that difficult.”

Adelle still wore the same overalls from when we met her. My nose wrinkled on reflex. “I’m going to go through my belongings today. Let me see if I have anything too small for me, so we can get you properly outfitted. No helmsman of mine will wear rags.”

Her eyes lit with excitement.

“You don’t care when I do, Captain,” Spade called in from the mess hall.

“That’s because if you put a pug in a dress, it still looks like a pug. But if you’d like a lovely little bonnet, I’d be happy to oblige,” I hollered back. A couple laughs, including Spade’s, trickled in from the other room. The pasties had sat for a few minutes, so I reached down to pick one up. My hand jumped back from the burn.

“Ah, careful, they’re not done cooling,” Adelle warned too late. “Try picking one up with a cloth. They’ll still be steaming for a bit, but once it’s broken it’ll cool down faster.” She passed me her oven cloth, and I scooped up the pasty, dropping it onto one of our chipped gray plates. I groped around the drawers for utensils, but the rest of the crew already snatched up the few we owned. They probably played pass the fork out in the mess hall.

“Thank you doll.” I mussed her hair. “You have no idea what a hot meal means to the crew. You’re absolutely lovely.”

Edwin nodded while stroking his bony chin. “This baking and cooking thing is such simple chemistry. I should be able to comprehend it, and yet the end result still eludes me. Perhaps it’s because of the cognitive functions of our cerebral development.”

“English, Edwin. Do you speak it?”

He wiped his hands across his waistcoat. “Based on the processing of our childhood experiences involving food, perhaps we develop different ways of tasting, which leads to a proficiency in the art or an inability to intake and understand it.”

I blinked at him several more times.

He threw his hands in the air. “My mother was a terrible cook.”

“Ah.” A grin lit my face. I whirled away from the kitchen with my plate in hand and carried it over to the first table where Seth and Mordecai sat. Spade had left; I assumed back to man the helm. He and Geoff always traded off with ease, both willing to compromise when the other needed a break. I placed my plate down, and Seth pushed a mug over to me.

“So you don’t steal mine.” He nodded towards it. I lifted the cup to my face, taking a deep swig of grog.

“Thank you kindly, sir. So what are you men discussing over here?”

“His time during the military,” Mordecai said. “Seth here had a pretty phenomenal campaign even though he’s being modest. I’d heard tales of Eagle Eye from all the way back home.”

I sat up in my seat and glanced at Seth. “Hidden depths, eh?” My pasty still steamed, so I poked a hole in top. Heat bit my fingertip, and I drew back fast. “How come you’ve never told us these stories, Seth? I’ve known you for years now.”

“Never asked.” He shrugged, and a blush covered his ruddy face all the way to his ears. He didn’t like boasting and wouldn’t bring his own accolades up.

Mordecai chewed on the final bite of his food and swallowed. “You never told me you had such a wonderful cook aboard.”

“I’m discovering many things today. The taste of a savory meal is about to be one of them.” I shifted on my seat, waiting for the pasty to cool.

“You all started eating without me?” Isabella’s smooth voice sounded from the doorframe. I turned around to spot her standing next to Geoff.

“I can’t help it if you sleep more than a cat.” I jerked my thumb to the kitchen. “Grub’s in there.”

“What’s this breakfast novelty?” Geoff muttered and shook his head. “I don’t think I can ever remember a time we had this.”

“Once.” Seth had a faraway look in his eyes. “Before you all came aboard. After a lucrative job, Morris hired a wench to make us a meal the next morning.”

“Why didn’t Morris hire wenches for us?” I asked, still glaring at my scorching breakfast.

“He did,” Geoff called from the galley, “He brought you aboard, didn’t he?”

I held back my smile in lieu of mock indignation. “Hey, that’s Captain Wench to you, boy-o,” I yelled back.

Geoff reemerged with a plate, followed by Isabella. He sat next to me and dug a fork into the pasty.

“How did you get a fork?” I frowned.

A wicked tooth poked out with Geoff’s grin. “Spade likes me more than you.”

Relief settled in my chest seeing Geoff joke around. After last night and his old flame’s betrayal, I had worried he’d delve into a dark place. Steam stopped rising from the hole I poked, so I lifted the pasty. Since the crust no longer burned my fingers, I could finally eat it. The warm first bite filled my mouth with gravy from the pocket: salty, savory and beyond delicious. I chewed vegetables and the softened meat along with the buttery pastry crust. Adelle was a phenomenal cook.

“Inhale it a little more why don’t you.” Isabella sat beside Geoff. “Seth, what did you do to that thing?” We glanced over to see he had cut his pasty into precise square segments and worked away at it with his fork.

“I like order.” He shrugged, jabbing one of his little squares.

“You like playing with your food. I’m not opposed, but I prefer a different setting.” She winked and stroked his arm. Seth rolled his eyes, keeping focus on his meal. He was the only man I’d ever met who didn’t get flustered by her charms, which fueled her to try harder. Edwin strolled in from the kitchen.

“I believe I’ve figured out how she’s making these.” He jabbed a finger at my pasty. I moved my plate away with a protective arm and devoured another delicious bite. “I watched her proportions and the length of time she leaves the tiny pies in the oven. A jelly of sorts, like gooseberry, would improve the filling.”

“Edwin, if you ruin her good cooking, I will end you.” Geoff spoke while chewing another bite of food. “Don’t put your jellies or weird potions into our meals.”

“I think it would taste decent.”  Edwin sniffed the air, and his mouth turned in a slight pout. “The chemical composition should complement the rest of the pastry.” He sat at the end of the other table, facing us. “Does anyone need a wound dressed?” he asked. I shook my head and ignored the graze on my arm.

His eyes glinted as he glanced at my sloppy bandage job. “I have a new formula for a healing ointment that involves a flour paste and the elderberry extract I found in my back cupboard stores. I also placed some mild sedative in it to calm the nerves. The experience should be rather relaxing.” A crazed look overtook Edwin’s eyes. “Would anyone like to test it out?”

“No stabbing for science.” I leaned back in my seat and took another bite. Edwin’s shoulders sunk into a sulk.

“Fine, I’ll have to wait for the next person to get wounded in battle. Shouldn’t be difficult as none of you can seem to stay out of trouble.”

I shook my head. “You have a point there, sir.”

“I wouldn’t say none of us can.” Isabella frowned. “I don’t get into too much trouble.”

Edwin raised his scraggly eyebrows, and he glared at her over his beak of a nose. “You’ve been in my infirmary, why?” he asked. “And that traitor, Jensen, he had just been there too. Poor darling Adelle, she’s been there. Bea, you should have come down to see me for that graze because it’ll fester in days. Geoff, Seth, and since I’ve never met you, Mordecai, I’d say you three are exempt.” He fixed us with a supercilious teacher’s stare. “The rest of you are walking talking ant farms of trouble.”

He shrugged. “Although, if no one got hurt, I’d be rather bored.” The way he said the phrase didn’t comfort me. I finished the last bit of my breakfast, and my stomach settled happily. I couldn’t remember the last time a warm meal filled my stomach. We needed to do this more often.

Adelle came in from the kitchen with strands of her hair curling and rosy cheeks from the heat of the oven. She carried over a plate with a pasty on top.

“Come sit with us, enjoy your meal,” I called out.

She walked over and took a seat across from Edwin.

“Thank you for the wonderful breakfast,” Geoff said, passing her his fork. “What did you think of the navigation bay?”

“Such a tiny slip of a thing, how are you going to reach those consoles?” Mordecai chuckled.

Adelle poked a hole into the pasty with the fork. “She has a reliable system, but her bearings are off. Just minor degrees, but they can be adjusted. You and Spade too, that romance needs to go. It’s totally distracting.” We paused in silence for a moment before she broke into a grin.

“There we go, you’re one of mine.” A wide grin stole my face as I tossed an arm around Geoff’s shoulders. “Hear that? I’m not the only one who thinks you and Spade are too close. Sharing forks. I’m afraid to even know what comes next.”

Seth burst into a loud laugh, and we all turned to gawk at him. “The girl’s got lip on her. Welcome to the crew.”

A bright smile lit her face, one I hadn’t seen on her before, but seconds later tears watered around her eyes.

Edwin’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Are you okay?” he asked.

I chased a crumb around my plate and tried to ignore her tears.

“I’m fine.” Adelle wiped her forearm over her eyes. “It’s just—I haven’t had a meal like this in awhile with so many wonderful people. The school, well, not much interaction was tolerated. They separated us after awhile. And those slavers.” She shuddered.

Isabella stroked her back. “Shh, you’re here now. You’re safe.”

“Aye, we’re a lucky bunch to have a crew like this.” I stood and surveyed the room. “Many would die for such a team.”

“Many have.” Seth nodded. Our table grew somber for a moment, and I could guess what most were thinking. The other tables of crew members hadn’t overheard our conversation though and carried on with their own.